Tyler Clementi Case: New Evidence Uncovered

Carrie Schmelkin : Gossip from the Hallways
Carrie Schmelkin
Web Editor, TMC

Tyler Clementi Case: New Evidence Uncovered

New evidence has turned up this week in the case involving Tyler Clementi, the college freshman who jumped to his death after being cyber bullied.

For those who need reminding about this tragic instance of cyber bullying, Clementi was an 18-year-old freshman at Rutgers University who, after being a victim of online bullying, decided to take his own life by jumping off the George Washington bridge. What led him to that harrowing decision was when an intimate moment between Clementi and another male was allegedly recorded by Clementi’s roommate, Dharun Ravi, and streamed over the Internet.

Currently, Ravi’s lawyer has issued a motion to dismiss all charges against Ravi, explaining that new evidence has been uncovered that shows that Ravi did not harbor ill will against Clementi. In April, a grand jury charged Ravi with multiple counts of invasion of privacy, trying to deceive investigators and intimidation as a bias crime, based on Clementi’s sexual orientation, according to a New York Times report.

According to the latest court documents, Clementi used his cell phone at 8:42 p.m. on Sept. 22 to send a text message to Facebook and update his status too "Jumping off the gw bridge, sorry." Apparently, 14 minutes later, Ravi sent a text to Clementi that stated, "I don't want your freshman year to be ruined because of a petty misunderstanding, it's adding to my guilt. You have to right to move if you wish, but I don't want you to feel pressured to without fully understanding the situation.” This evidence, along with other evidence that has not yet become available, is being used as reason to dismiss the charges against Ravi, according to Ravi’s lawyer. 

More important than a possible acquittal, this latest evidence and the whole case reveal just how much technology has made its impact on colleges and schools for the worst. Some of today’s children, teens and young adults (and even adults) do not understand the sheer power of the Internet. Ravi reportedly taped his roommate having an intimate moment with another man, not realizing the danger that once this video went live on the Internet, it will remain live forever. Then, just as cavalier as he was with the taping, he allegedly issued an apology through a text message – not a phone call, a hand written letter or a face-to-face conversation. A text message. The least personal, sympathetic form of communication.

Today’s youth live in a world where pictures can be uploaded to Facebook and videos to YouTube with the click of a button. Then, in the event that someone’s feelings get hurt, that person can just as easily attempt to make amends through texting – a form of communication that cannot adequately convey emotion.

Tyler’s death should be a reminder to all that it make take one second to upload a video or a picture, but the repercussions can last a lot longer. And just as it might be easier and less intimidating to make amends with a friend or enemy through a text, the true translation will almost always get lost.

 

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